Richard Sherman Podcast - Lions beat Vikings for #1 seed, Jerod Mayo fired, Tyreek Hill wants out

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd – January 6, 2025

Episode Title: Richard Sherman Podcast - Lions Beat Vikings for #1 Seed, Jerod Mayo Fired, Tyreek Hill Wants Out

Hosts: Richard Sherman and Mitchell

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1. Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings: A Pivotal Showdown

Timestamp: [00:36] – [08:57]

Richard Sherman opens the podcast by celebrating the Detroit Lions' triumph over the Minnesota Vikings, securing the #1 seed in the NFL. He highlights the exceptional performance by key players such as Jameer Gibbs and Aaron Glenn's defense, dubbing the game as "one of the games of the year."

Mitchell echoes the significance, stating, “I don't think the NFL could have dreamed up a better scenario to close out the season” ([01:39]). He emphasizes the high stakes, where the winner gains home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, while the loser faces the LA Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford on the road.

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2. The Detroit Lions' Resilience and Season Performance

Timestamp: [03:04] – [15:56]

Richard Sherman delves deep into the Lions' season-long resilience. He praises the team's culture under head coach Dan Campbell, highlighting their ability to overcome injuries and adversity. Sherman notes the return of Alex Anzalone and the defensive lineup's adaptability, saying, “They are going to do it with whoever shows up. Whoever we have will be good enough” ([03:04]).

Mitchell adds, “They stood tall today” ([07:51]), commending Aaron Glenn's defensive prowess despite the offense's slow start. He underscores the Lions' depth and the collective effort that propelled them to the top seed, despite numerous injuries to key defensive players.

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3. Coaching Changes: The Firing of Jerod Mayo

Timestamp: [15:43] – [20:02]

The conversation shifts to the controversial firing of Jerod Mayo from the New England Patriots. Mitchell introduces the topic by questioning the rapid decision-making: “Gerard Mayo is already fired. I mean, Richard, how did this happen so quickly?” ([15:43]).

Sherman critiques the management's decision, arguing that Mayo was given an insubstantial platform: “You gave him an empty cupboard with stale milk, stale crackers, some flour, and told him to make a meal” ([15:56]). He draws parallels with legendary coaches like Bill Belichick, suggesting that premature firings can prevent the development of great coaching careers.

Mitchell concurs, lamenting the lack of patience in nurturing coaching talent and expressing skepticism about the organizational motives behind firing Mayo, especially when Mike Vrabel is expected to take over.

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4. Player Movements: Tyreek Hill's Potential Exit from Miami

Timestamp: [20:02] – [27:20]

The hosts discuss Tyreek Hill's rumored desire to leave the Miami Dolphins, comparing his situation to NBA star Jimmy Butler's reported intentions to exit the Miami Heat. Sherman reflects on Hill's dissatisfaction, stating, “It's one of those situations where you think the grass is greener on the other side” ([21:59]).

Mitchell elaborates on Hill's career peak and the challenges he faces in Miami, questioning whether other teams are willing to trade the substantial price Miami paid for him. Sherman adds, “He went to Miami and had a lot of success, had an incredible season, but this wasn't anybody else's doing” ([21:59]), suggesting that Hill's move might stem from unmet expectations rather than his performance.

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5. Player Incentives and Bonuses: Geno Smith, Mike Evans, and Baker Mayfield

Timestamp: [28:03] – [34:25]

Mitchell introduces the topic of player bonuses, highlighting Geno Smith's $6 million payday ([28:03]). Sherman supports this by praising Smith's performance: “It's very tough. So shout out to Geno for having a heck of a year under all the circumstances” ([28:03]). He criticizes fans who call for Smith's replacement despite his achievements.

Mike Evans' milestone is also celebrated, with Sherman noting, “Mike Evans, one of the best receivers in the National Football League and one of the best receivers in the history of the national football league, hitting 1K for the 11th consecutive year, tying Jerry Rice” ([28:03]).

Baker Mayfield receives acclaim for his $2.5 million bonus, with Sherman acknowledging his consistency across multiple statistical categories: “Shout out to Baker Mayfield, who picked up another two and a half million dollars by being top 10 in the league” ([28:03]).

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6. NFC South and Playoff Implications

Timestamp: [33:12] – [34:49]

Mitchell discusses the NFC South's landscape, particularly focusing on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their unexpected rise to the three seed ([33:12]). He praises Baker Mayfield's role in their success and cautions against underestimating the Buccaneers and Washington Commanders in the playoffs.

Sherman briefly mentions Todd Bowles and the challenges awaiting Jaden Daniels in the playoffs, hinting at future discussions on playoff strategies and team performances ([34:13]).

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Notable Quotes

• Richard Sherman: “They never stop believing. They never stop, stop grinding it.” ([03:04])

• Mitchell: “I don't think the NFL could have dreamed up a better scenario to close out the season.” ([01:39])

• Richard Sherman: “If every great coach was fired after their first year, I don't know if we'd ever know the names of some of the greatest coaches in the National Football League's history.” ([15:56])

• Richard Sherman: “It's very tough. So shout out to Geno for having a heck of a year under all the circumstances.” ([28:03])

• Mitchell: “Gerard Mayo is already fired. I mean, Richard, how did this happen so quickly?” ([15:43])

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Conclusion

The episode provides an in-depth analysis of key NFL events as the season concludes. From the Detroit Lions' remarkable season and strategic moves to coaching decisions and player movements, Richard Sherman and Mitchell offer insightful commentary enriched with personal opinions and notable quotes. Their discussion on player incentives underscores the financial motivations in the league, while the conversation about Tyreek Hill highlights the complexities of player-team relationships. Overall, the podcast serves as a comprehensive recap for listeners eager to understand the latest developments in the NFL.

Transcript

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[Richard Sherman]

The volume you know this sir you all for this joke super bowl championship. That should always be the expectation. I ain't mad at you. Go ahead. Welcome back to the Richard Sherman Podcast and it's been a great season, Mitchell. A season of excitement, turnaround, ups and downs for all these teams and it finishes with a great game in the Detroit Lions versus the Minnesota Vikings. Your Honolulu Blue Boys really showed up. That guy friend of the program, Jameer Gibbs has an incredible game. Aaron Glenn's defense shows up in a big way and of course they're the game of the week, the game of the night, one of the games of the year. Probably with two of the best records in the National Football League. And of course there are Uber Eats, some Sunday Night Football matchup of the week. It's the matchup brought to you by Uber Eats that showcases the two best teams in the National Football League. Mitchell, what are you feeling right now?

[Mitchell]

I don't think the NFL could have dreamed up a better scenario to close out the season. Two teams, 14 and two entering the season with the number one seed and a buy on the line. I mean, this is wild. I mean a lot could be argued that this is bigger than a playoff game, right? Winner gets home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a first round by loser goes on the road to play the LA Rams and Matthew Stafford. I was in Ford Field, it was humming and it was buzzing and God bless it, they dominated. I'm so proud of this team. I mean, you look at all the resilience, you know, you look at everything they've overcome throughout the season. You look at all the doubt, all the injuries, everything. Alex Anzalone came back this game and the defense just looked a lot different. This defense stood on their head all game and gave the Detroit Lions offense an opportunity. The Detroit Lions offense came out slow, sluggish. I did not understand the play calling in the first half. Remarkably, the Minnesota Vikings did not score a touchdown. And we still had life, Richard. I'm so proud of this franchise. They earned the first round by. They need to get healthy. Now that both of your teams are eliminated, that Honolulu blue hat that you have in your hand, that Honolulu blue hat, will you be on the bandwagon in this post, Mitchell?

[Richard Sherman]

Mitchell, There's a small chance that I could jump on this bandwagon because I think America has jumped on this bandwagon. I think, you know, every the Dallas Cowboys, they play on Thanksgiving, yada yada, America's team, yada, yada yada. But right now, I think America's darling sweetheart is the Detroit Lions. I think everybody feels good about this team, what they stand for, what their head coach stands for, the culture that they built. And really there were so many plays and so many things in this game that really encapsulated, really captured the essence of what they built in this culture. And you talk about Jameer Gibbs, the guy they picked 12th overall in that draft and people said, oh man, they overdrafted him. That's too high. Absolutely took over this game, made huge plays. Jared Goff, who was thrown away, thrown away. Mitchell, embraced by this fan base, embraced by this rugged blue collar. He threw away the white collar. Mitchell, he was the first round draft top overall pick. He threw away that and said, you know what, I'm a blue collar guy. I'm grinding it, getting it from the dirt, from the mud. And they have done that. This offensive line that they built through both the draft and free agency just really just freaking started to grind on the Minnesota Vikings by the end. You just seen him just when they pushed Jameer Gibbs in for his fourth touchdown, it looked like he was stopped four yards short and he was going to go down, but he just kept pushing his legs. And then you got Sam Laporta pushing him. You got the offensive line coming in, pushing him and he gets to the end zone because they just never stop believing. They never stop, stop grinding it. Never stop. Did I just quote Journey? I think I just quoted Journey. Mitchell, don't stop believing. You know, I can't see y'all. You already know about that. But let's talk about the injuries because I want to talk about the. Because I know everybody knows about it, but you really don't really sit there and list them. I want to list them. Aiden Hutchinson, broken leg out. Ayla McNeil, torn ACL out. Kyle Peco, torn Peck out. Marcus Davenport, tricep out. John Kaminsky, torn MCL out. Makai Wingo, knee out. Those are just the D linemen. These are just the D linemen that they're missing. Linebacker, anzalone just came back with a broken forearm. Stitches still in his skin out there with a, with a carbon fiber plate. Said, everybody wants to be a dog until you got to do some dog shit. Respect. Gots to respect it. But again, that's a perfect example of what Dan Campbell has built in his culture in his community. These guys are playing for one another. Who, who is back there in a defensive backfield. They've got a Meek Robertson to play the slot. They brought Carlton Davis in to be the lockdown defender to follow the number ones to really help shore up this secondary. But Amik Robertson said, hey, we're going to play man coverage, which they played 67% of the time. Aaron Glenn played man coverage 67% of the time against one of the most dynamic receiving cores in the National Football League. With one of the top receivers playing in the National Football League right now, Mitchell, with three corners out, Amik Robertson said, that's a bet. Mitchell took the assignment, shut him down. 3 catches for 54 yards. Played incredible football. Could have had a couple interceptions. And I can't express how difficult it is to play man coverage 67% of the time. No team plays it 67% of the time over a whole season. Nobody. No, you can't. It's just impossible. And so Zadarius Smith got a sack, Muhammad got a sack. And then you saw Anzalone just all over the place. Whether He's. He's covering T.J. hawkinson or he's. He's putting pressure on running dunce, running games with the D line. They just says they are going to do it with whoever shows up. Whoever we have will be good enough. And I'm not saying I'm speaking for the Detroit Lions or that's their slogan, but that's what it seems like it is. Not the next man up. Whoever's up, whoever's up is going to get the job done at a high level. And they have shown that repeatedly, play after play, day after day. And it's cool to see the maturity and evolution of Jameson Williams, you know, running, running the route tree. You see Amon Ross St. Brown getting his Pro bowl recognition, continuing to shine like he has. And they're going against a really good defense. They got two Pro Bowlers on the DNS. They got a Pro bowl corner. They got so many guys winning awards over there in Minnesota. It's. It well deserved. But this Detroit Lions team just showed them there's levels to this.

[Mitchell]

It's wild because you're going down to Ford Field and there's so much anxiety rolling through your head. You saw it with the media. You saw it on espn. Everyone's taking the Vikings in this game. Everyone's recognizing what Detroit has to go through. And they thought, hey, you know, if this is it, if they're going to have to slip to the five seed and go on the road, this might be the end of the Detroit Lions. They stood tall today. Richard. I'm so proud of this franchise right now, but how in the world like Aaron Glenn, right? Aaron Glenn in this defense. Aaron Glenn deserves so much credit for this win today because again, the offense was slow, they were sluggish, and ultimately, I mean, Jared Goff turned the ball over within the own, their own 10 yard line. Given the Minnesota Vikings hope before the end of that first half, this defense stood tall early and often and throughout. How do you scheme this up when you're, when you're Aaron Glenn playing with a shell defense with a bunch of guys that like, frankly have didn't anticipate playing on this game with this amount at stake? Richard, I mean, this is huge.

[Richard Sherman]

It was a master class. And then on the flip side, I don't want to keep the Minnesota Vikings out of it because their defense played a really good game. Obviously, after a while, the Detroit Lions wore on them, but they caused multiple interceptions, gave their offense the ball in the red zone, pressured Jared Golf throughout the game, but again, he's shown the ability to overcome the past stereotypes that surrounded his game and surrounded him as a player. And Aaron Glenn, I don't know how they hire people to speak at these coaching clinics or how they decide who's going to be the lead speaker, but I guarantee you there's going to be a number of coaches trying to figure out what room Aaron Glenn is speaking in and how he comes up so they can bring their notebooks out and take notes of how to coach a defense through adversity the way he has. How to continue to motivate your team, how to continue to keep guys prepared, how to, how to continue to scheme it up in a scream, scheme it up so aggressively and trust your secondary the way he did. Even though you have young guys or guys who you. There are very few guys you would trust to say, hey, you're going to, you're going to be locked up with Justin Jefferson the entire game and we're going to, we're going to trust you to get that job done. You're going to hold him to under 60 yards in this game and we're going to play man to man cover 60% of the time. Amik Robertson said, hey, I grew up with this dude. I know him. I got you. That's a bet. And he did it. And I don't think we really can give him enough credit. And this buy was so important for Detroit because they have to get healthier and more time that you get off, the more chance you get to get a couple guys back, Mitchell. And I don't know who they'll get back. Like, maybe you get David Montgomery back, which would be huge. Maybe you get, maybe you get a Carlton Davis back, which would be huge. But it also goes to show, hey, all the experience that these guys and all the belief and all the, the, the rewarded faith that you showed and the guys that had to play in their absence, that's depth. That's depth. And that shows how great this program is in Detroit is starting. It's really something. They built something special. Mitchell, this isn't a fluke. This isn't a flash in the pants. They were in the NFC Championship last season and everybody was like, oh, man, it's a feel good story. It's not a feel good story anymore. They're the big dogs, and big dogs eat first. And I've heard Green Bay packers played multiple times and said they should have won both times and they had the better team both times. I don't think. I just, I don't see how you justify that. They are one game away from another NFC championship game. Mitchell. You just got to think about that as a, as a Detroit Lions fan. And they got to come. They got to come through Ford Field. They got to come in front of the, the one pride and find a way to get a win. And that's going to be tough.

[Mitchell]

No doubt about it. Richard, I am. I'm absolutely thrilled. I mean, there's no way to undersell this. This was huge for Detroit. You go on the road, I mean, listen, you're facing the daunting task of going on the road and facing Matthew Stafford, round one. If you lose this game, I don't know how much motivation that was for this team, but, I mean, certainly it was rearing itself in the back of every Detroit Lions fan's head. Because the last thing you want to do is face Matthew Stafford on the road in LA in the wild card round of this playoffs. Richard, I am, I'm beyond thrilled. And you know what? Hey, maybe my friend, you can see it here in Detroit Live when you're in town in the next couple of weeks. We might have to just take you to a game.

[Richard Sherman]

Mitchell Mitchell, I'm not one against being kidnapped and taken to Ford Field and being being forced against my will to watch your Honolulu Blue Honolulu Lou Blue boys go out there and potentially send themselves to another NFC Championship Game. It would be my pleasure.

[Mitchell]

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[Richard Sherman]

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[Mitchell]

Right after the season closed and week 18, shocking news came out of New England. Gerard Mayo is already fired. I mean, Richard, how did this happen so quickly?

[Richard Sherman]

I, I think it was already decided, and that's the frustrating part. And I know people are like, he, he, he made poor decisions. You know what I mean? He had some media gaffes, like, where it said some things he shouldn't have said. He, he lost games. This wasn't a very talented team. And it wasn't like they gave him a playoff team and then said, hey, take this playoff team and, and take them further. No, you gave him an empty cupboard with stale milk, milk, stale crackers, some flour, and told him to make a meal. And that's not fair. And that's not fair. And I understand that they're saying, oh, man, he need to show more than he did. People can learn. People can learn on the job. Get better, improve. That's what an off season's for. Hey, these are the mistakes you made. Check them off. Hey, don't do this in the media. Don't do that. Hey, when you, when you're in game, make a better decision here. But if you can't learn from mistakes. If every great coach was fired after their first year, I don't know if we'd ever know the names of some of the greatest coaches in the National Football League's history. Like, what was Bill Belichick doing in Cleveland? Like, what if he got fired there and never got another opportunity? Like, would that be fair? Would that make sense? We would have missed out on one of the greatest trajectories ever. There's so many coaches that have struggled in their first couple years. I mean, I think Bill Walsh struggled in his first. Jimmy Johnson was 1 in 15 in his first season. And just the timing of it all. Like, if Jimmy Johnson was coaching now and went 1 in 15, they'd say, fire him. Never give him another job. And then you would have missed out on a, on a Super bowl winning coach who ended up being one of the best coaches in Dallas Cowboys history. And they just put him in their ring of honor and hall of Fame and all that good stuff. But it's, it's like this microwave mentality that we're in right now, where it's like, hey, I don't get instant noodles. Then. Then I need to get somewhere else. And it's like, you're going to handicap not only the guy, but you're going to. You're going to handicap the quarterback who seems like you found one. You seem like you found a franchise quarterback for your organization, but now he's going to have a new offensive coordinator. And then what if he doesn't succeed because he doesn't have a ton of talent again? And now you're going to be sitting there like, oh, my God, do we fire him again? Bill Belichick was 5 and 11 in his first year in New England. Should you have fired him? No. You trust the process. You let it. Let it. Let him grow. Let him learn. Like, give him a couple of years to figure it out. Now if you don't figure it out in a couple of years, you let him go. But at least you. You said, hey, we gave you a chance to develop, to figure it out. You knew the guy had no coaching experience, no head coaching experience when you hired him, and you hired him in from in house. So that's why I don't understand this decision, because this is your own guy. Now, if you're saying you're doing it to hire Vrabel, that has me scratching my head as well, because you could have hired Vrabel in the first place. You maybe should have hired Variable in the first place, but what could he have done with an empty cupboard? It wouldn't have been much better than this. Maybe he got five wins. Maybe he goes five and 12. But I guarantee you, you weren't firing Vrabel because he goes 5 and 12. Because you just say, hey, the team. This is what the team is. You didn't give him a good enough team to. To go more than 5 and 11 to do anything meaningful. So I just think it's a bad decision, but it's a decision they're making. And they weren't paying him much money, so it won't hurt them very much. And I'm sure they'll hire Vrabel now because he's a New England guy. He's. He. He coaches that way, runs his program. Really strict, really, really to earth. But the players love him. They play for him, and I'm sure he'd do well in this, but it's. It's just weird that. I mean, Brian Callahan in Tennessee, he's probably. He's probably gone. He's probably. He's probably gone. He's probably getting fired. And it's just like there's probably going to be four or five head coaches that are in their first year coaching, being a head coach, and they're getting fired. And it's like, I just don't understand the point of hiring new coaches if you're just going to fire them after a year.

[Mitchell]

Dan Campbell was 313 and 1 his first year. Leading off his second year, he's 1 and 6. I mean, you look at these teams, I think they're all trying to catch lightning in a bottle. But you're right. I mean, they. They want Mike Vrabel, and they've made that very obvious. And it's a shame because they finally have Drake may. They finally have their franchise quarterback and their position highly in the draft, where they're probably going to end up taking a top tier wide receiver, if not Travis Hunter, who can play both sides of the ball. So you got to believe this is a good situation for any head coach to enter into. And it's a shame Gerard Mayo does not have that opportunity to continue his tenure with the New England Patriots. I mean, for a former player to be cast away after one year with giving him the job, it's a shame. It's almost like they treated him as an interim head coach, and I think that's what they probably did. And maybe I'm wrong, but I. I think they treated him as an interim head coach and now he's gone. So enter Mike Vrabel. I'm sure predicting the future. I would assume Mike Vrabel gets that job. Richard, we got to talk a little bit about Tyree Kill. I mean, this stuff, I don't know what's going on in Miami. And not to talk about NBA too much because we're an NFL podcast, but you see the news about Jimmy Butler wanting out of the Miami Heat. I don't know if he's been talking with Tyree Kill. Their exit, Their exit interviews were.

[Richard Sherman]

Exit strategies look very similar.

[Mitchell]

Very similar. I mean, Tyreek says, I'm out, bruh. It was great playing here, but at the end of the day, I have to do what's best for my career. And listen, I don't blame him, you know, I mean, he's a guy that's in the peak of his, you know, of his athletic career, right? And he probably wants to go out and win, but he had that opportunity with the Kansas City Chiefs. It's a shame he just realized that now with Miami. What do you think about this whole situation going on with Tyreek? In Miami.

[Richard Sherman]

I love Tariq. I think he's a great player. He's gonna. He's a special player, special talent. But it's one of those situations where you think the grass is greener on the other side and then you look up and it's just grass. And you're like, hey, I chased the money and now I'm unhappy because the money doesn't fill the void that I. Maybe winning is more important than money. And now he realizes that, but it takes losing to realize that. It literally took him to go against the team that he played for and to them to beat him in the playoffs and go on and win a Super bowl without him. You know, and sometimes that is a shot to the ego, and I'm sure that was a shot to his ego in that playoff game. To lose to your former team and then to watch them go win a Super bowl without you. Go, continue to thrive without you. They're. They're 15 and 2 this season. Haven't really looked back since you left. Won back to back super bowl since you left. So it's one of those situations where it almost feels like, hey, I'm going to show these guys, I'm going to go get my money. And then you guys are going to see how much you miss me. And then you realize, damn, they don't miss me that much. They're not even thinking about me. Like, damn, they just going on like the train kept rolling. Maybe I wasn't that important. Maybe I was just a cog in a wheel. And he is a special player. He went to Miami and had a lot of success, had an incredible season, but this wasn't anybody else's doing. They didn't force you out of Kansas City. You had to go get the money. You had a price that you wanted. Now if you're saying you'd rather take less money to win that, maybe that's growth, maybe that's maturity. Maybe that's a different stance than you're used to. But I think this is just him being emotional. I don't. I don't know if Miami would be open to trade him. They had to trade so much to get him in the first place. I think they traded, what, two first rounders for him and paid him max money. I don't know if another team is going to match that, especially, you know, after the year he had. He's getting older. Everybody gets older, you know, but maybe there's a team out there that, that is willing to pay the price Miami paid for him to get him to come to them. But I highly doubt that's going to be a winning team. And that's the thing, you know, you saying I want to go to a winning team. There aren't any winning teams that, that are minus a number one receiver. Like of the teams that are ones and two and three seeds, maybe Buffalo, you know, maybe Buffalo would be, can be convinced. You talk about Philadelphia, they have AJ Brown, you talk about Detroit, they have Amon Ra, you know, or they, they have Jameson Williams to do that job. You talk about Baltimore, could Baltimore use him? Perhaps. But are they trading two first rounders? I highly doubt it. And so those are the situations you run into where you're like, I don't know if you'll be able to get back to where you were. Unless Kansas City is like, hey, we'll take him back. But I guarantee you Kansas City is going to do that for a reduced price. You know, maybe they give you a third rounder, a third rounder and you know, a fifth rounder. And now they get to Rek Hill back. I mean, that sounds like the kind of stuff that happens again City Mitchell. So I don't, I don't put it past him.

[Mitchell]

That's exactly what I was thinking. I mean, hey, the grass is not greener on the other side. I'm going to go back to the lawn I was mowing before Tyreek Hill. The situation in Miami is wild, but yeah, can you blame them? I don't know. I mean, Richard, you had that winning mentality in your veins always as a player. Could you imagine playing for a losing organization when you're entering 29, 30 years old, when you're still in that prime of your career?

[Richard Sherman]

No, I'd be really frustrated, but I don't think I'd be looking externally to change that. I'd be looking internally. I, I was, you know, selfishly or I guess ignorantly. I always felt like, like no matter what situation I was in, like we could improve it to, to win a championship. Like we always had the pieces. I always felt like, hey, if I'm there and our team is like, if we all play together and we trust each other, like it's almost like ignorance is bliss kind of deal. Like it's, it's youth is. It was my youthful ignorance and energy and it worked at every level. You know, in high school, we came in, our high school hadn't been passed the second round of the playoffs in like a decade and we were, we were freshmen with a bunch of kids who had never played football. Before, they were all flag football players. And then our sophomore year, we all played jv. And then my junior year, we all moved up to varsity and all our varsity guys left. And so we had a really young team, but we went to the championship. My junior year we lost. Then my senior year we pulled it together and we won the championship by over 30 points, I believe. And fast forward to Stanford. We go one and 11 my freshman year. By my senior year, we're 12 one and win the Orange bowl and number three in the nation. And then you fast forward to Seattle, who had never won a Super bowl, who had never won anything. By my third year there, my second year, we should have probably won a Super bowl. But by my third year, we're winning the super bowl, beating one of the greatest quarterbacks in the National Football league's history by 35 in the super bowl with the best defense, one of the best defenses to ever play. And so I think you sometimes have to look within and really just, hey, if you're that kind of guy and you feel like, hey, I'm a special player, I feel like the guys around you are special, then you got to start investing in your team and investing in your teammates and invest in the things that help with winning and the things that take no talent, the things, the camaraderie, the friendships, the, the bonds. And I think that's what I've always worked on investing in. And he's an incredible talent. I understand his frustration, but I don't know if the Miami Dolphins will be up. He doesn't have the control he thinks he has. So I don't think they'll just let him out of there.

[Mitchell]

This is not the NBA and we'll see what happens this offseason with him.

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[Mitchell]

There's not a whole much, a whole lot on the line in terms of a lot of these games just don't flat out matter. Right? I mean, but a lot of players are playing for a lot of moolah, right? And we saw that. I mean let's talk about your Seattle Seahawks. Geno Smith made himself $6 million today. Six million, Gino. I mean, that's a payday and a half if I've ever seen one. You saw Mike Evans make another $3 million today. You saw Baker Mayfield make 2.5 million today. I mean, Richard, these incentives are wild. I mean, how much motivation goes into week 18? Is this something, obviously teams think about, but is it more player focused? Like, does management say, hey, we want to take Mike. Mike Evans out of this game. We don't want him to hit that incentive. We don't want Geno Smith to hit the $6 million bonus. Is that something that you think from the top down is coming in?

[Richard Sherman]

No, I don't. With some teams, maybe. You know, I think. I think Cooper rush had a $250,000 incentive he could have hit if he would have played for the Dallas Cowboys today, and they played Trey Lance. So I'm sure some teams do it, but I think a lot of teams want their guys to hit it. That's why they put them in the contracts. You can't put them in there and then take guys out of the game. Really cool for Geno, you know, to have 70% completion percentage. Like, the incentives he had to hit were really high. And that's why I get frustrated when. When Seattle fans are like, get rid of him. He sucks. Like, you know how tough it is to complete 70% of your passes over a season in the National Football League when your offensive line has not played well the entire year and you've been getting beat up week after week after week? It's very tough. So shout out to Geno for having a heck of a year under all the circumstances. Not the best year he's had, but set a number of Seahawks records this season for yards completions. I think he broke his own completion percentage record. And it really grinds my gears when I hear fans complaining, like, man, we got to replace him. We got to, like, replace 70% completion percentage. I understand he struggled in the red zone this year. That can be fixed. That can be adjusted. That can be changed. You can do a lot worse than that under the circumstances he was under. And if you improve the offensive line, you. You get healthier running backs. You know, maybe K9's healthier next year. That all affects it. The defense plays like they. Like they're capable of playing like they did in the second half of the season after the bye week. They play like that all season long. This is a different team, and this team won 10 games. Like you're. You're frustrated about all this. And the guy won 10 games, 70% completion percentage, broke a number of records and won 10 games. And they're saying, replace him. That's where I'm like, it's. It's tough. It's tough in this league because you're not getting much better than that. Like, there are only five guys that can literally will their team to a playoff, to a Super bowl or two, you know what I mean? To really drag their team. And even Burrow, who is arguably the best quarterback in football right now. And if you. Depending on who you ask, he's the best. Couldn't wheel his team in after starting four and eight because the rest of his supporting cast was so terrible that he couldn't get it done. And he won the last five straight. Still couldn't get in. And so thinking you can just replace a guy like Geno Smith, who was really good player and played some really good football and is playing the best football of his life is just silly to say. And I understand that he's had struggles this season. The team has. And there are things that can be corrected. A first year OC who will get better, first year DC who will get better, an offensive line that'll. That'll likely get shuffled around and some pieces replaced. You had your center retire pretty much midseason. Things like that usually don't happen. It's an unusual season and they still managed to win 10 games. So I. Great. I'm happy for Gino. I think this was great. He earned his money and I hope he gets a contract extension and stays in Seattle for a long time to come. Another guy who made some money today and made some history. Mike Evans, one of the best receivers in the National Football League and one of the best receivers in the history of the national football league, hitting 1K for the 11th consecutive year, tying Jerry Rice. I have not seen Mike Evans show that level of emotion very often. You could tell how much it meant to him, how much it meant to his teammates, how much it meant to his family. It was a great accomplishment and a huge win for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who jumped up to the three seed, got a home playoff game against the Washington Commanders and a chance to continue their season after, you know, up and down season. But that's a heck of an award. $3 million. Well deserved, Mike. I hope this discontinues. Even with all the missed games, you found a way to get it done. Shout out to Baker Mayfield, who picked up another two and a half million dollars by being top 10 in the league or top five in the NFC in each of the five categories. Pass a rating Touchdown passes passing yards, completion percentage in yards per attempt. Balling Mitchell, that is Balling Baker out there cooking. Found himself a home, making himself some money. Love to see it.

[Mitchell]

And you know what? We dog on this NFC South a lot. You know, you look at the landscape of the NFC south, the Atlanta Falcons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, neither team really rose above the occasion until the final week. But you got to give a lot of credit to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baker Mayfield specifically. We talked about the Detroit Lions and their injury adversity throughout this entire year. The next closest comp is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For them to weather that storm and still be in this position and get the three seed in the playoffs, not a whole lot of people talk about them. I would hate to go on the road to Tampa Bay and have to contest with them. You know, good luck to the Washington Commanders. I know that they've been a Cinderella story of such this year. No one expected much of the Washington Commanders, but I hate to go on the road and play against Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I'd expect a lot out of them. Shout out to Mike Evans. Shout out to Baker Mayfield, Richard.

[Richard Sherman]

Shout out to Todd Bowles. You know, he's done a hell of a job too, and that's what I'm concerned about for Jaden Daniels and these playoffs. But we'll get to that tomorrow when we're talking about the playoffs. But he brings a lot of exotic pressures for a rookie to see.

[Mitchell]

Well, then, no doubt about it, Richard. This concludes week 18. We're going to talk about the playoffs more on our next podcast. I'm still enthusiastic as hell about the outcome of tonight's game. I lost my voice multiple times tonight. Richard, please sign us off and we will meet you guys again on the next podcast to discuss the NFL Playoff landscape.

[Richard Sherman]

Well, thank you guys again for joining us on the Richard Sherman podcast. You guys have been incredible. It's been another successful season, but the fun does not stop. We're going all the way through the Super Bowl. I've had a lot of fun doing this, rooting for the teams that I played for, rooting for the Detroit Lions, talking about every team, your favorite teams, the Minnesota Vikings and their crazy run through this season. It's been an incredible run and I thank you guys for joining us, for staying with us. Whether it was a second, a minute, an hour, we sure do appreciate you. I hope you had a happy holidays. And I hope you're doing everything you said you would in your New Year's resolutions. Keep fighting through love and respect. Hit that sub button if you're new. The volume.